Looking Back on the Internal Initiative: What 24 Sussex Still Asks of Us
To close this four-part series on 24 Sussex, it is worth returning to the larger question the project raises: how should a nationally significant site evolve when its existing buildings carry memory, material, setting and public meaning, but also have real limits? The future of the site should not be framed as a choice between […]
What the Internal Initiative Tested: Carbon, Character and Contemporary Architecture at 24 Sussex
When we developed our internal proposal for 24 Sussex in 2017, one of the central ambitions was to test whether the property could be reimagined through a net zero carbon lens. At the time, that was still an ambitious framing. Much of the sustainability conversation in architecture remained focused on energy efficiency, operating performance and […]
Inside the Internal Initiative: A Both-And Approach to the Future of 24 Sussex
One of the most useful conservation principles for thinking about 24 Sussex is also one of the most practical. Standard 5 of the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada advises project teams to find a use for a historic place that requires minimal or no change to its character-defining elements. […]
From Internal Initiative to Public Question: Rethinking 24 Sussex from the Site Out
24 Sussex Drive has long occupied an unusual place in Canada’s public imagination. It is both a house and a symbol, both a private residence and a national setting, both a domestic place and a backdrop for the work of government. Constructed in 1868 and formally adapted to serve as the official residence of the […]
Building Carbon Zero with CLF
The Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) plays an essential role in the fight against climate change through pioneering research, creating resources, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and developing member-led projects to bring the embodied carbon emissions of buildings down to zero. Important initiatives include promoting climate action, creating sessions for continuing education on carbon policy, funding research projects […]
TEDx & CAHP team up with MTBA for climate solutions
From the curators of the popular TED Talks, TED Countdown is an urgent new global initiative designed to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal is to turn ideas into action and build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 in the race to a zero-carbon world. […]
Ottawa Architects Propose ‘Radical Rehabilitation’, Addition, Zero Carbon for 24 Sussex Drive
Ottawa-based Architecture, Urbanism and Conservation firm MTBA Associates has proposed a “radical rehabilitation” for the Prime Minister’s official Residence at 24 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. The proposal, which includes heritage preservation, a new “official wing” addition, and high sustainability performance to a level called “Zero Carbon”, is intended to make good use of existing resources and be an international-level showcase […]